Ghost Wolf
by TwitchyEars007
Summary: Sukiyo, a traveling wolf, happens upon the Ice Age crew in a desperate position. After spending time with them, she decides that traveling with them would be the best plan. Problem, she's a rare wolf that has others comming after her life.
1. Sukiyo the Moonlighter

Summary: Sukiyo is a mysterious Dire Wolf from the Ice Age that wears an elegant, and equally as mysterious, stone. She happens upon the Ice Age crew in a desperate need for food and shelter. After spending time with them, she decides that traveling with them would be the best plan for now. Only problem; she's a rare kind of wolf that has others of her kin comming after her life.

First thing,the character's name is Tsukiyo, although I'm going to spell it Sukiyo. Either way, I believe it is pronounced 'su-kee-yo.' Second, this chapter has almost nothing to do with a Moonlighter, but in future chapters it will. If you're smart, you can already guess what it has to do with. Besides that, this might turn out to be a Diegoxoc, but I'm really not sure. AH! That brings me to my next thing, the main character ( Sukiyo ) is a female Dire Wolf from the Ice Age. Besides that, this isn't exactly my main story. I just had inspiriation and an unnamed desire to write something for Diego after watching Ice Age II. Got it? Good. :cough: Now then, on with the Disclaimer!

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Ice Age or Ice Age II.

Claimer: However, I DO own Sukiyo and all other un/named characters and the story plot.

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**Sukiyo, the Moonlighter**

Grinning wildly, I broke through another snow done and scattered the white flurries about my mane. My dazzling white fur gleam as freckles of snow dotted it, and my golden eyes flash ahead of me. The oncoming blizzard blows freezing winds in my muzzled face, and my slender snout leads me onward still. Misled and confused barks and growls echo behind me, heightening my excitement.

The emerald looking stone pounded against my chest as my willowy, long legs dipped in the snow with a steady tempo. My tail waved high as a flag of triumph, clearly marking my pleasure in the chase.

A snarl of the clear leader endorses behind me again, and I can hear his footsteps hit the snow faster with my large, erect ears. He's just behind me, and I can feel his saliva nearly freezing on my long, bushy tail as his ragged breaths come louder then the deafening winds' howl. I can see his dark head on my right as it snaps toward my right hind leg.

I jump to the side and dodge the attack, but as soon as my paws hit the icy earth again, they thunder in a breathtaking speed. My breathing comes in quick pants as my mouth opens to reveal long, curved fangs against charcoal black gums. My large white paws hit the ice violently as my black talons scrape snow underneath them, spraying the wolf behind me with a shower of snow dust.

I hear his whimpering behind me as I rush ahead of him, suspecting that snow had hit his eye and sent him in a world of pain. Too bad, so sad. That'd teach him to hunt me.

After another minute I twitch my ears, listening hard for any sign of snarling or barking behind me. Not hearing any, I slowed my pace to a quick trot, and then to a hasty walk. Huffing heavily I twist my head behind me, looking for any trace of the pack that had been chasing me moments before.

The only thing behind me is an endless sea of ice. I close my mouth and tilt my head up, sniffing the air to make sure I had lost them. After a few seconds I had to give in the need for air, and lowered my head to continue trying to catch my breath. Even as my head rose and fell as my chest heaved for air, the corners of my mouth twisted into a well-earned smile. I gaze down at the glowing green rock that hung around my ruff proudly, allowing the ruddiness to shine on my golden eyes.

I snuffed and flickered my tail, before taking a wide view of the landscape. A jagged mountain range was up east, some large dunes bounded north, and the way ahead, south, had a cliff. The rest was a purely frozen wasteland; home.

As I started to think about settling down, I remembered that the blizzard swirling around me was going to intensify considerably. By night it will have full effect, and I'd freeze. Beautiful.

A new train of thought crossed my mind._ Food and shelter… Food and shelter…_

That was about the extent of it.

All the overexcited energy I had gained from the chase blew away from me, leaving me tired and hungry. My stomach growled at me a warning. It'd been nearly four days since my last meal, and I was looking for some of my prey: horse, bison or sloth. Well, that was what I wanted, but right now anything was on the menu; dead or alive. Thanking my scavenger-like nature once again, I padded my way up a small little hill and surveyed the grounds again.

Still an artic badland.

Mentally sighing I started to make my way down the hill, which was steeper on this side then the other. My paws fanned out and braced my body as I slowly slid over rocks and ice. Upon coming a few feet to the bottom, I jumped instead of waiting the extra minute.

As my paws hit the ice I started in a run again. My pace was more rapid then a trot but not as rushed as I had been. Glancing at the position of the sun, I watched the rays reflect on the white ice and paint them oranges and rubies as it set behind the peaks to the east.

I turned to the side and continued on my way, my eyes bright and ears effectively keeping watch for any disturbance in the silence. I blink, and as my eyes settle on my trail again, I see a small deposit of travelers up ahead, heading east. I was going south.

Quickening my pace, I trot up to a steep cliff to get a better view. With my paws on the very edge of the overhang, I stood tall and gazed at my potential targets. All I could identify was that there was a large creature and a smaller one. Not the best description, but whatever.

Fog slowly rolled over the large pads that were my feet, and I shrugged my coat free from snow flurries. I blinked my golden eyes once more, before bowing my head to the icy floor and raising my bottom in the air. With a steady, low growl rumbling through my chest, I leaped forward and disappeared in the rolling fog.


	2. How Things Thin Out

**How Things Thin Out**

Three travelers were walking steadily in near silence, that is, if you drone out the sloth-like creature babbling atop the mammoth. He didn't seem to mind that much, but it was working on the saber's last nerve.

"Like I was saying before, what's with women? I mean, they're just so sensitive some times, and they all want the hunkiest sloth around. They can't just settle for a nice, family man anymore."

"Shut up, sloth!" shouted the tiger, glaring at the fat lump as his claws dug into the ice.

He merely shrugged and said, "There's got to be someone out there for me. There's got to be one sloth that enjoys-."

"A fat, annoying pain? How do you escape all those women Sid?" the mammoth barked sarcastically.

The sloth quickly noticed the disdain and huffed, sitting back with his arms crossed over his chest. The mammoth continued on, this time more easily without the noise echoing in his head.

The tiger grumbled a death threat under his breath as his great paws dropped to the ice in a repeating pattern, his eyes fogged over in deep thought.

The trio was making their annual trip back from the human's place, to check up on the child they had saved a few back. He was old enough to talk now, but could barely comprehend the animals anymore. Heck, they weren't sure he had even known what they discussed when they first saved him.

They had settled to a region in the eastern mountain ranges, and the animals were just making it back to where they called home; a great ice bowl that homed many of the surviving animals.

"Hey Diego, when are you going to find a woman?" asked Sid.

The tiger closed his eyes in irritation, yet the sloth continued ignorantly.

"I mean, I've got a whole colony of mini me to choose from, and Manny's already got another mammoth. If he could find one, I'm sure you could, right?"

"If I wanted a mate, I'd get one. Worry about yourself," growled the tiger. He was close to jumping on the mammoth and ridding himself of the nuisance.

The mammoth glared at the coming fog wearily, and the sloth became rigid suddenly. The tiger, who had failed to notice something was wrong, merely chuckled to himself. He thought that he had scared the sloth as stiff as a doornail. He shouldn't flatter himself so much.

A white blur flew over the mammoth's back, and the sloth gave a yelp. The mammoth shook himself, but cried in pain when I dug my talons in his fur to right myself. I was still was masked by the fog, which had thickened considerably.

As I ducked my head to grab the squealing sloth, the tiger roared. Distracting me, I glimpsed at the poised saber. As my golden eyes glowed through the fog, the moment they caught the bronze cat, they hardened into a glare. I ignored him and raised my mighty paw, preparing to strike the sloth, who was staring in fear, down with one shot. Unfortunately for me, things didn't go quite as planned.

The strength of the saber knocked me off my feet quickly. I felt the ice bite my side and I instinctively rolled to the side, snarling and snapping as my fangs tried to grab flesh. The tiger's rumbling growl was muffled against my ruff, but his paws around my arms extended their claws as I flipped him onto his back.

My head was tugged to the side in an uncomfortable position as he held the side of my thickly furred neck in his strong jaws, refusing to give in. I curled my lips back and revealed row upon row of saliva glistening incisors. He shook his head slightly, and I pinned my ears to the back of my head.

"Damn cat!" I barked as I drew my paw up, free from his grasp, and prepared to hit him in the side of the head.

As I tensed my muscles for the blow, I felt a small pain in my head. Snarling, I turned my head around. My paw lowered slightly as I noticed what stood behind me. The sloth was standing on the mammoth's head, another pebble in hand. However, I was much more concerned with the mammoth, who stood there simply.

Suddenly I remembered those long, curved ivory tusks that mammoths had. How could I forget something that important! Oh yea…

I was hungry.

"Back off now," he warned lowly, narrowing his eyes at me.

I growled at him and returned the glare, but cautiously answered, "Or else?"

"There'll be wolf on the menu tonight," he replied brusquely.

"Didn't know mammoths were carnivorous," I snapped, but turned my attention to the cat below me nevertheless.

His fierce jade eyes glowered at me angrily, my white fur starting to leak with red. I stared at him for a moment, before licking my chaps and crunching my jaws together naturally. I lowered my paw to the side of his face, and jerked at my ruff impatiently. He suspiciously released, and I jumped off of him edgily.

Shaking the blood droplets from my fur, I stood tall and stared down at the cat on the ground. He rolled onto his feet and hissed at me. Barking in response, I took a step forward challengingly.

"Enough!"

The mammoth stepped between us to stop the upcoming quarrel. Sid glanced between us worriedly, not knowing what to do.

I continued to growl at the tiger, even though a large, thick wall of fur was blocking my view. Shrugging the villainous from me, I sat down pleasantly and curled my tail around my figure. Lifting my paw I licked it, and then rubbed the side of my face.

"What, tired already dog?" snapped the saber.

I shot him a glare and lowered my paw, sliding my right hind leg out involuntarily.

"No, but if you insist of being an ass, bring it over here. I'll show you where you grovel," I barked, another growl rolling in my throat.

"I said," started the mammoth, "**Enough**!"

He slammed his foot into the ice forcefully, sending splinters of ice soaring over the snow. The saber jumped back, but I merely flinched and watched the ice roll about the ground.

Silence after the action ensured our peace, and the sloth took this opportunity for a questionnaire.

"So, where're ya from?" he asked amiably.

I glance at him and flicked the tip of my tail, accompanied with a snort.

"It's common courtesy to reply when you're talked to," the tiger said as he stalked behind the mammoth.

My eyes followed him wearily, but I answered nonetheless.

"The north."

"Where're ya going?"

"…Do I really have to answer?"

"Yes," the mammoth shot.

"…"

"Now would be nice!" he added.

"South."

"Super, we're going different directions," the tiger said as he started out east again.

"Not so quick, there's got to be a reason she came here," the mammoth replied. He looked at me expectantly. What am I, you're pet?

Clearing my throat of any sarcasm it might contain, I said, "I'm here because I was hungry."

"That's it?" the sloth asked curiously.

"Yes," I spat. "That is it."

"There's a blizzard coming," the tiger said, his snout way in the air.

"It's coming quickly."

"I've known that since last week," I added halfheartedly.

"Keep your comments to yourself," he hissed.

"Just offering some wise advice to a dumb cat. You shouldn't tease those of higher rank," I told him. Who did he think he was, anyways?

"I don't," he sneered.

I glared at him and made a face.

"Well excuse me, Mr. Sunshine."

"I wouldn't be talking!"

"Then don't," I said simply, retiring to licking my paw lackadaisically.

The tiger steamed and released a warning roar. I was too busy to notice.

"Break it up, children," the mammoth reproached. What the hell was his name?

"Let's just find shelter for the night. Tomorrow we can fight or whatever, but it's survival of the fittest!" the sloth scolded, slamming his fist in his open hand. I gave him no regard.

"There was a cave to the west of where I was heading. We could stay the night there," I advised.

"We are not traveling with **_that_**!" the tiger objected.

"Have any better ideas, Romeo?" asked the mammoth.

No response. Go figure.

I sighed and stood, shaking my hind leg. It was itchy and burning at the same time. Ah well, it'd go away soon enough.

I started on my way silently, and soon enough heard the resounding choir of crunching snow behind me. The breeze kicked up and I heard the sloth cower in the mammoth's thick fur. The tiger merely bowed his head to the wind. I lead up front, proudly making my own tracks through the snow.

This was going to be one hell of a night.


End file.
